Scaffold attachment and safety device for ladders



Oct. 11, 1932. OSTERDAHL 1,881,902

SCAFFOLD ATTACHMENT AND SAFETY DEVICE FOR LADDERS Filed Sept. 30, 1929 INVEN TOR.

Patented Oct. 11, 1932 UNITED TATE TENT MARTIN OSTERDAHL, on CHICAGO, ILLmoIs, Assienon or ONE-HALF 'ro GUivNAnn HULTMAN, or FOND nu LAo, isconsin V V soAnFoLn ATTACHMENT AND SAFETY DEVICEFQRLAIDDEBS Application filed September 30, 1929. Serial 110.398,?157.

The present invention relates to an attachment designed to be used in connection with a ladder of ordinary construction, by providing a support for a scaffold-platform, which 5 attachment is readily applied and easily adjusted as to position upon the ladder.

The attachment may be used in connection.

with a single ladder to support a platform of very small area, or two of the attachments 10 may be used with two ladders spaced apart and arranged to support an elongated platform. Again, the attachment may be employed as a safety device, in the absence of a platform, to prevent a person standing upon a rung of the ladder from falling therefrom.

The invention resides in an economically constructed, portable, skeleton, platform supporting device of light weight, which may be easily positioned and safely anchored at any desired height upon the ladder. The main element of its construction comprises a metal strip bent into U-shape, the free ends of the U being formed as hooks designed to encircle the stiles of the ladder and find support upon one of the rungs thereof. Attached pivotally .to the U-shaped member are depending braces which engage the next rung below that upon which the hooks rest, so as to support the outer part of the main member and main- 50 tain it in a horizontal position. The lower ,ends of the braces are adapted to engage the said lower rung of the ladder in a manner which will prevent their accidental displacement.

\Vhen it is desired to construct a scaffold platform of considerable length, two ladders and two of the scaffold attachments are used. If it be desired to provide a small platform upon which a workman may stand while perone attachment will be used.

The attachment is also susceptible to use for a body brace or safety belt for a workman, and when so used will, by embracing his body, prevent him from falling from the ladder, and at the same time leave him the free use of both hands with which to perform his work.

The construction of'the attachment is such isused. I

forming localized work, a single ladder andthat' it may be applied either to the front of the ladder or to the rear thereof. I

Having thus outlined the nature and pur poses of my invention, I will now describe the construction and application of the same in a specific form,and will point out the novelty thereo'fin the appended claim."

. -In the accompanying drawing: 7

Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a portion of a ladder,showing my attachment applied L63 thereto in the position inwhich it ordinarily Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View through the ladder and the attachment. V

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation, lo'oking from 6' 5 theright inFigs'. 1 and2'. w

:Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig; 1, showing the attachment at the rear oftheladder,

' .In the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the stiles, and the numeral 11 the rungs," of I a ladder "of ordinaryv construction.

A In reducing-myinvention to practice, I

take a, strip of'metal-of flexible nature and suitable length, and bendit into U-shape to form the main member 12. The parallel arms 13.-of theflU-shaped member 12 are m; turned as at 14 to form hooks or loops,the

returned portions being preferably arranged at the inside of the U, and separated from the parallel arms :13. .to form a space in which can j the stiles 10 of the ladder may be entered. Aligned perforations are provided in'both the arms 13"and the returned portions 1 1, V

near the point of the hooks or loops for the reception of a pin 15,sothat when the hooks cs5 .orloops are engaged with the stiles of. the

ladder, and the pins 15 inserted inthe per ,forations, the U-shaped member 12 cannot be dislodged other than purposely from its anchored position upon -the-la'dder. Chains L196 .16, attaohed'at one end to the pins 15, and at the other to an adjacent-part of thepmain --me1nber or its hook, insure the "presence of a ,pin at thetimeit is desired to applyithe attaohment-in position. When placedYas de- L9H scribed,the'hooks or loops 14, rest upona rung ll oftheladder, and thus'the free ends of the ,U-shaped member-12am supported. v

At points/a suilicient distance outwardly from the hooks, and ,nearthe bend; the 109 I shaped member is perforated for the reception of bolts which form pivots for two braces or struts 17. The latter are perforated near one end, as vwell as at a point intermediate their ends. Ordinarily, the intermediate perforations in the struts 17 will receive the pivot bolts by which the struts are connected to the U-shaped member, The lower ends of the struts are forked as at 18,

the forks being adaptedto receive the rung forming localized work. If it be desired to erect a platformof considerable length, two ladderswill be used, each equipped with the tachment to be applied to ladders of difierent widths.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

In an attachment of the class described, a

metal strip bent to U-shape the arms'of which have hooks or loops at their free ends for engagement with the stiles of a ladder, struts or'braces 'pivotally connected with-the said metal strip and adapted to engage a rung of the ladder to support the said metal strip in horizontal position upon the ladder, the said struts or braces. being provided with a plu- V rality of perforations whereby the pivoting connection with the said metal strip may be adjusted, and means for anchoring the said struts or braces to the ladder.

In'testimony whereof, I have signed my name at Chi ag t is 3lst d y of August,

1929. t V I ,MABTIN OSTERDAHL.

attachment, as described, and an elongated platform 19 will be laid on the 'arms'13' of the U-shaped members 12 and be firmly sup ported in horizontal position thereon, permitting a person totraverse the length of the platform in performing his workf 1 To give an assured anchorageto the at itachment when positioned upon a ladder, the fork 18 at the lower end ofeach. strut 17 may have associated therewith a gravity operated "latch 20, pivoted to the lower end of the strut. The latch 20 will be pushed aside when the fork in the lower endof the strut 17 is lowered to engage the rung 11, and the head of the latch will then drop into place below the rung so as to. prevent accidental disengagement ofthe strut from the rung.

It may be desirable in some circumstances to arrange the attachment at the under or rear side of the ladder, and this will be efi'ected in'the manner shown'in Fig 4, but first the'connection of the struts 17 with the arm 13 of the U -sha ped member 12', should be through the perforations at the upper ends of the struts, instead of the intermediate perforations, as in Figs. 1 and 2 The invention functions further as. a safeios rio

. ty belt for a person using a ladder, without a I platform of any kind. When so used, the

person positions himself upon a'rung of the v ladder, with the bend of'the U-shapedmember passed around his. body. He will then be free to lean backward or sideways, without fear of falling, or accidental disconnection of the attachment from the ladder, and

will be enabled to have the free use of both hands in performing his work.

The flexible natureof the: metal stripfrom I which the U-shaped, member is formed, will permit variation of the distance between the free ends of the arms'13', to enablethe at- 

